The Path Through the Undergrowth
by aquillandparchment
Summary: He looked almost like a Demi-God in that moment she thought to herself. Slowly, she glanced away, clearing her head from the thoughts that filled her mind. She should have known right then that something was amiss, a Malfoy never shuffles. D/Hr. Next-Gen. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I tried to stick as much as I could to the facts of the Wizarding World and spent quite a bit of time consulting various sources. However, some things are changed to benefit the plot line. Everything about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

He shuffled up to her, his head bowed towards the ground with one hand stuffed in his pocket. He looked almost like a Demi-God in that moment she thought to herself. The light from the massive windows lit his hair making it shimmer in different hues, the sun on it's descent left shadows across his cheekbones and bathed half his face in shadow. If anything it accentuated his aristocratic features even more. Slowly, she glanced away, clearing her head from the thoughts that filled her mind. She should have known right then that something was amiss, a Malfoy never shuffles.

A shadow crossed her visage and she looked up at the expectant eyes of none other than Draco Malfoy. He must have spent all afternoon practicing his cool and languid stance, trying his best to assume a non-threatening position.

"Hey, Granger," he breathed. Leaving her washed in the spearmint scent of his toothpaste. No matter how much they had been through, she couldn't find it in herself to batter him with her words, she longed for the days in school when he would rile her up and she would retort, both of them growing fiercer and fiercer with their insults until they were pulled away by some distraction or another. But it was a different time now and so she turned her gaze away and replied, "It's good to see you, Malfoy."

In that moment, standing in the charmed glow of the Ministry Press Conference, her whole life changed. For a while, she would wonder if it was even worth it. Was she really headed down a path that she couldn't see the end of? At the end of the day, she decided that Frost had said it best.

_Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I tried to stick as much as I could to the facts of the Wizarding World and spent quite a bit of time consulting various sources. However, some things are changed to benefit the plot line. Everything about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

She couldn't believe he was late; on today of all days. She had been planning this dinner party for a month. They were celebrating his graduation from intern to resident Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. This was just as much his day as it was hers, and he was nowhere to be found. She entertained her guests with a smile on her face, assuring them that Draco would be there any minute and they could begin dinner.

Outside their simple two-story cottage in Falmouth, Draco paced back and forth along the white picket fence. His palms were sweaty and his stomach was knotted. He patted his pocket one last time, wiped his hands on his pant legs, and headed for the front door. Before turning the knob, he plastered on his trademark smirk, conjured up a simple bouquet, and finally entered their home where he kissed his girlfriend of a year and a half on the cheek. He apologized for his tardiness and presented her with the bouquet. She tutted at him and straightened his tie before taking the flowers and placing them in a vase in the kitchen. Draco went around and greeted his guests and apologized for his lateness; then they sat down to the delicious meal that Hermione had made. She graciously accepted the praise from her guests, her modesty showing as everyone made a grand deal over the roast duck. But he saw her pride glowing from her eyes. She had the most expressive eyes and by just glancing at them he would know in a second exactly what she was thinking. He only hoped that later, he would be able to look into her eyes and know the answer before she even voiced it. But that would have to wait; he didn't want to ruin the dinner right in the middle of it. So he indulged in light conversation with the family and friends that had gathered at their table, making jokes with the men and paying compliments to the women.

"Hermione, you sure are lucky you snatched him up before anyone else! A man as chivalrous and charming wouldn't have held out much longer," Ginny winked at her. Hermione turned to look at him and blushed a pretty pink; she kissed him on the cheek and nodded her agreement towards Ginny. "I am quite the lucky woman, I do agree." As their dinner came to a close, they moved the gathering into the sitting room where they continued discussions over a glass of champagne. Draco glanced over at Hermione, where she sat on an ottoman actively describing one of the insane people she dealt with on a daily basis as the Head of the International Relations Office; it was at that moment when he stood up to address his friends and family.

* * *

"Once again, I would like to thank you for all coming to help celebrate this exciting moment with us, it has truly been a blessing having you all in my life these past two years. However, there is one person I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without." He crossed over to where she was sitting and pulled her up to her feet. "Hermione, you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. You've put up with my burned omelets and my dirty socks strewn across the floor. You were the one who pushed me to start my Healer training and supported me every step of the way. You've always been so independent, that it didn't surprise me when we fought over who would be moving in where. You, of course, thought that I should move in with you and not the other way around. But I'm so glad we came to the decision to get our own place. It hasn't always been easy, and I had thought up until this moment that the hardest thing I had done in my life was approach you at that conference two years ago. As I stood outside the house this evening, I worried myself on every possible scenario that would make this go wrong, but walking through the front door made me realize that I have nothing to worry about. You're the one I want to tease about your hair in the morning. You're the one who I want to leave me notes when I have to work through lunch. You're the one who I want by my side for the rest of my life." Draco got down on his knee and pulled out the small velvet box he had been carrying around for the last month. "And so, I want to ask my little Know-It-All the one question only she knows the answer to," he paused taking a breath to calm his nerves.

"Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry me?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I tried to stick as much as I could to the facts of the Wizarding World and spent quite a bit of time consulting various sources. However, some things are changed to benefit the plot line. Everything about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Draco knew it would come without warning. It always did. It was like a cat preparing to pounce on its prey, and in this scenario he was the prey. He couldn't believe that they hadn't told him that his wife had come in to St. Mungo's. He had to hear about it from some gossiping nurses. He ran to the down to the ground floor where the maternity and neonatal unit had been added. He didn't even bother asking the number of the room, he knew exactly where she would be. At the end of the hall and on the left, in room number 24, her favorite number; he burst through the door startling the nurse that was checking his wife's vitals.

"Oh, Draco. You knew I was going to call for you as soon as your shift was over. There really is no need—uh! To worry, I'm doing just fine and you haven't missed anything." Draco crossed the room to her bed and grabbed her hand.

"You're crazy, woman, if you think I'm going to miss anything about the birth of our first child. I said I would be here, and here I am." She smiled at him before grimacing in pain once more.

* * *

Draco grabbed a cool rag from the table next to the bed and wiped her brow. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear while she breathily laughed to herself. The nurse came over to the bedside with a blue bundle in her arms, she placed the little bundle on Hermione's chest and left the room. Hermione cooed at the tiny baby in her arms. It was just the three of them in the room now and she looked up at Draco. He moved his gaze from the child to her and beamed with all the pride of a new father. She smiled once more and said, "Our little Scorpius Hyperion."

"Scorpius Malfoy, I like the sound of that." Draco leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

* * *

A few hours later, Draco carried his son into the waiting room where a large group of people all waited with bated breath. He looked up from his son and said, "Scorpius, I would like you to meet your family." All at once the women in the group bustled forward to coo and hold the baby. The men came up to Draco and gave him a pat on the back. "Harry, Ron," he said addressing Hermione's oldest friends, "Hermione would like to see you guys for a minute." The two men nodded and shook hands with him before heading down the hallway.

"Hello, boys." She smiled at them as they walked into her room. They would always be her boys, no matter how old they got. Beneath their mature frames, she could still see the two eleven year old boys she had found in the compartment of the Hogwarts Express ten years ago. "You two are my best friends and I can't think of two better people to be the Godfathers of Scorpius." The two men teared up and gathered Hermione in a giant hug. That is how Draco found them as he quietly shut the door to the room once more. Nothing was worth disturbing that moment for.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I tried to stick as much as I could to the facts of the Wizarding World and spent quite a bit of time consulting various sources. However, some things are changed to benefit the plot line. Everything about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Seven children ran through the backyard, a lithe blonde with a party hat perched precariously on his head led the pack. A few steps behind, a chubby toddler with white blonde curls chased after, but soon gave up, stomping her foot and collapsing into a heap on the grass. The crying started soon after; then much to her delight, a small boy with hair just a shade darker than hers plopped down next to her and tried to cheer her up.

On the back patio of the Malfoy home, the parents all looked on with amusement. It wasn't rare that little Cassiopeia, Cass for short, was left behind when the older kids started running around and making mischief as many children do. Hermione wasn't surprised when Luna's son, Lorcan who had the sweeter disposition of the twins, was the one to comfort Cass as she threw a tantrum as many three year olds do. Scorpius and the rest of the herd rounded the corner of the yard and made a beeline back to the patio. The adults all knew what they were coming for, and they found it hard to be willing to indulge them in the sweets that their energy levels did not need.

* * *

Scorpius squeezed his eyes tightly and he thought long and hard about what he would wish for. An exasperated sigh came from the right of him and he peeked out from under his blonde fringe at Alise Wood, a girl one year his junior with about twice the amount of attitude. It was apparent that she was not one to wait around for anything. In that moment, Scorpius blew out his five candles and beamed proudly that not one was still lit. The parents and children all clapped as Hermione picked out the candles and begun to cut the cake into small pieces for the children. Once everyone was fed and the conversations had lulled to a content silence, the couples started to pack up their children and told them to give one last birthday hug to Scorpius before they all left.

* * *

Alise strutted up to Scorpius (as well as a four year old can), looked him straight in the eye and said, "Next year, it's my birthday. And I know exactly what I'm going to wish for." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and skipped off to grab her mother's hand to Side-Along Apparate. She waved goodbye to Scorpius and disappeared with a **pop**.

Hermione viewed this exchange with a smile playing on her lips. She glanced over at Oliver to see him staring open mouthed at the spot his daughter had just been standing in. She laughed quietly to herself.

* * *

Draco sat down on the edge of Scorpius' bed to tuck him in that night. "So Scorp, did you have a good fifth birthday?"

"Yes." He glanced up at his father and then back at his bedspread. "Father, what happens when your wish doesn't come true?" He asked quietly.

Draco looked at him and said the first thing that came to mind. "Well son, when a wish doesn't come true, it goes up into the sky and joins all the other wishes. That's where all the stars come from."

"But Father, that's a lot of wishes that didn't come true."

"I know Scorp, but sometimes, wishes aren't meant to be and that's why they light up our night sky. Our unanswered wishes give us hope for what will happen later on, and until they come true they light our way in the darkest part of the night." Scorpius looked appeased at that. Draco kissed his son on the forehead and tucked his bedspread up to his chin. "Goodnight, Scorp. I love you."

"Goodnight, Father. Love you too." As soon as his door closed and Scorpius was sure that his parents were in their room, he crawled out of bed to look out his window. He scrutinized the sky looking for any evidence of a new star, and then over to the right he saw a bright star. He knew that that star would be waiting for him, waiting for his wish to come true, but until then he would wait and let it lead him until it was the right time. He climbed back into his bed and drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione wiped a stray tear that had escaped her eye. She had tried so hard to be nothing but positive for Scorpius' big day. She had made it through the robe fittings, deciding on the best owl, and buying him all the necessary texts plus a few more. She had even made it through Scorp finding his wand without shedding a tear, however, as she watched her oldest son board The Hogwarts Express, she found it hard to not sob. Draco draped his arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze; he lifted one arm in farewell as Scorpius leaned back through the door one more time, a grin playing on his lips.

"When do I get to see Scorp again," Cass asked as she looked up at her parents.

"Scorp will come home just a little before Christmas," Draco replied as Hermione choked back a sob. "But you can write him as much as you want. He probably won't respond to every letter, but he'll write back when he has time." Cass nodded in understanding and turned to watch The Hogwarts Express pull out of sight.

"Mother, Father, can we go get ice cream now?" Leo looked expectantly up at his parents. Cass soon chimed in her agreement and eventually Hermione and Draco gave in. After all, you only have so many ice cream trips with your kids before they're off on their own.

* * *

On the train, Scorpius scanned the compartments looking for any familiar or friendly face. He caught a glimpse of Victoire Weasley halfway through the train, she was one year his senior, but it seemed to him she already had everything figured out. A few other pretty girls surrounded her and they were all smiling and chatting when he passed by. He eventually found an empty compartment and maneuvered his trunk through the door, making sure to take care that his new eagle owl, Atlas, was not jostled.

He settled into the bench and tried to find a way to entertain himself. After five minutes had passed, he became fidgety and wished he had just asked Victoire if he could sit with her, just so he wasn't so lonely. A knock startled him out of his reverie and he looked up and into the most beautiful hazel eyes he thought he had ever seen.

"Hello, my name is Lucida. Lucida Flint. Do you mind if I sit here? Every other compartment seems to be full." With a small dumbstruck nod, Scorpius would consider that the moment he fell in love. She sat down across from him gracefully and crossed her ankles, quite the prim and proper lady even at eleven. Although when asked, she would say she was eleven and a half. She quirked her eyebrow and fixed him with her gaze. It was then he realized that he hadn't introduced himself.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy," he said to her as he held out to his hand to shake hers. After all, his parents had raised him to have impeccable manners, and after the scene that had just happened; he knew he had a lot to make up for. She smiled and took his hand and gave it a firm shake before returning her hands to her lap.

"I do believe I've heard your name before, have we met?" she shook her head and replied.

"From what I know, our fathers were schoolmates when they went to Hogwarts. My father is Marcus Flint." Scorpius mentally smacked his forehead. Of course that's why she sounded so familiar. He wondered quietly to himself why they hadn't met before if their parents had been friends. As if she could read his mind, she added, "We've been living in Italy for as long as I can remember, but my parents thought it best for me to go to Hogwarts. After all, it is the best wizarding school."

Scorpius was finally shaken out of his reverie and he launched into a conversation about Italy with her. He was thankful that even though his mother made the family vacations educational, that they were still able to visit amazing places. By the time the train reached its destination, Scorpius was convinced in his eleven-year-old heart that Lucida was the girl he would marry.

* * *

As the first years were ushered into the Great Hall, Scorpius surveyed the ceiling in amazement. Of course he had read Hogwarts, A History; but that didn't prepare him for how awe-inspiring it actually was. As Deputy Headmistress, Professor Sinistra, called out names one by one, Scorpius saw the group of students around him begin to thin.

"Lucida Flint," called out Professor Sinistra. Lucida proceeded to the stool that typically housed the Sorting Hat and waited for it to make its decision. After a few seconds of deliberation, the Hat called out, "Ravenclaw!" Lucida gracefully made her way to her cheering housemates. Scorpius caught a few of the glances that were sent her way and tried to shake them off. Before he knew it, Professor Sinistra had called out his name. He took a deep breath and climbed the few stairs up to the stool. He calmly sat down and waited with bated breath. As the professor placed the hat on his head, he felt a nervous pit grow in his stomach. Then he heard a voice in his ear.

_Ah, another Malfoy it is. But somehow, you are different than the rest…interesting. Ah, there it is, your mother. Hermione Granger. I rather enjoyed picking through her mind when she sat here. Such a bright young witch, she would have done well anywhere. Just as you will Mr. Malfoy; but the ever present question is where will you do the best? I see you have your mother's intellect, but you also have your father's cunning ability to achieve your end goal._

Scorpius quickly glanced up and noted that the entire hall was staring at him in anticipation.

_Yes, yes. I do believe I know just what to do with you. _

"Slytherin!" Scorpius rose from the stool and headed towards the table adorned in green and silver. A quick glance over at the Ravenclaw table revealed Lucida giving him a thumbs-up. He smiled in relief and continued on his way to greet his new housemates. It was there that he saw Victoire and he made a beeline straight for her. She smiled and patted the seat next to her, which he gratefully took. Once the sorting was done and Professor McGonagall had finished her opening remarks, the students all tucked into their long-awaited dinner. When the meal finally came to an end, Scorpius could say that he had never eaten that much in his life.

Later that night as he lounged in his dormitory with his new yearmates, Scorpius wrote a quick letter to his family back home.

_Mother,_

_Things are well here at Hogwarts, I'm sure you're not surprised; but I was sorted into Slytherin. It's nice to have Victoire in the same house, not sure what I would do if I didn't have a familiar face. Classes begin tomorrow: potions with Ravenclaw. I'll do my best to make you and father proud._

_Scorpius_

He quickly ran up to the Entrance Hall to let Atlas go before returning to his dormitory. After all, he was half Hermione and it would not do if he was not well rested for his first class the next day. That night, he fell asleep to visions of pretty brown haired witches with sparkling hazel eyes.


End file.
